Steamd

The other day I went into a public restroom and was confounded by the placement of the hands-free sensor for the faucet. My thought was,”If the spout itself is so high up, why did they put the sensor so low?” To amplify the problem the sensor didn’t work the first time. I literally had to wave my hand in front of it like three times to get it to work.

The solution to this problem is simple: give me an alternative other than the faulty sensor. A traditional way of turning on a faucet would have been much faster.
I’ve seem other similar devices with similar problems: towel dispensers that spit out towels by just walking by it, toilets where the manual flush button isn’t obvious, and hand dryers that don’t turn on or stay on when you place your hands underneath them.

Good product design starts by recognizing that user experience is important. The problems that exist with these hands-free products tells me that the designers didn’t fully realize the problems they had to solve or that changes were introduced midstream that effected the products ability to do its job. As such the products ended up having defects that stunted the user experience, something that could have been easily solved with testing early on in the development phase.

Good product design is about communication and solving problems. Think about that the next time you go to a public restroom and a hands-free device fails to work properly. Ask yourself what you would change about it that would make it better. Do you think the rest of the public would get it and agree with that change? If so then that’s a good place to start.

Think about some of the best product designers out there. Think about a product that you have seen that left an impression in your mind. The best analogy I have about good product design has to do with a can opener. Sure, for most people a can opener is a can opener. There’s nothing really about a can opener that would give you an emotional response. But if a company that designs can openers was to create one that not only looks different but feels different and opens cans better than anything out there then someone using it might get an emotional response from it. They may very well think to themselves,”This is the best damn can opener I’ve every used! I don’t think I’ll ever buy another can opener from another company every again!” Not only did they design a good product that solves the customer’s problem but they also created a loyal customer who doesn’t see any other solution as being as good as theirs.

The lesson here is that getting your customers to use your product is only one part of it. The other is keeping them. And the only way you’re going to do that is to develop a good product that speaks to the customer. In essence the product must speak for itself. If you were building can openers you have to tell yourself, “We’re not in the business of making can openers…we’re in the business of opening cans”. That’s a big distinction in philosophy, don’t you think?

I find that the reason why many web developers/designers and software companies fail is that they haven’t properly defined their business model, philosophies, and processes properly. The ones that stick out for me are the ones who focus on user-centric design, implement proper IA into the process, and maintain proper communication at every level of development. Companies like Google, Apple, Dyson (great vacuums btw!), 37 Signals, and others.

In fact, my wife and I ended up having to replace our vacuum and ended up going with a Dyson. All you have to do is do the math: 5 year warranty on part and labor, no bags or filters to replace, and it never looses suction. If it lasts more than 5 years then it clearly makes up for the extra cost compared to other vacuums. You could go through two vacuums in the same amount of time one Dyson would last you. But it’s not in the cost that makes it better…it’s how good the damn thing is. The minute you use one you’re hooked. I mean, this thing sucks…literally! Best damn vacuum I’ve every used, hands down. That’s building loyalty for ya!